At a time when many jazz musicians were experimenting with electronics and fusing their music with pop, the Jazz Messengers were a mainstay of straight-ahead jazz. This live concert from the 1976 Umbrian Jazz Festival features outstanding solo performances from Blakey and members of his band, who perform with passion and panache on a stage in the town square to a huge crowd. Songs include "Backgammon," "Along Came Betty," "Uranus," "Blues March," "All the Things You Are," and "Gipsy Folk Tales."

"This is classic Jazz Messengers; 'hard bop' at its best, creative and exciting."—MusicWeb International